Selected quad for the lemma: cause_n
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A59254
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A Serious and faithfull representation of the judgments of ministers of the Gospel within the the province of London contained in a letter from the to the general and his councell of war / delivered to His Excellence by some of the subscribers, Ian. 18, 1649.
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Gataker, Thomas, 1574-1654.
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1649
(1649)
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Wing S2605; ESTC R37368
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11,205
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18
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up Arms and upon which We were induced to joyn with them from which We have not hitherto declined and We trust through Gods grace never shall We remember That when the King with a multitude of Armed men demanded but a small number in comparison of those now secluded by you of the Members of Parliament It was deemed such an horrid violation of their Priviledges and an act so injurious and destructive to the good of the Kingdom as had not then any precedent or parallel And of what nature it was judged to be by a Parliament then free and full may appear by the Order of the House of Commons of January 3. 1641. When hearing but of a purpose in the King to seize upon some of their Members they Declared If any Person whatsoever shall offer to Arrest or Detain the Person of any Member of this House without first acquainting this House therewith and receiving further Order from this House That it is lawfull for such Member or any Person to assist him and to stand upon his or their Guard of Defence and to make resistance according to the Protestation taken to Defend the Priviledges of Parliament and by the Declaration of January 17. 1641. That the Arresting of any Member of Parliament by any Warrant whatsoever without a Legall proceeding against them and without consent of that House whereof such Person is a Member is against the Liberty of the Subject and a breach of Priviledge of Parliament And the Person which shall Arrest any of these Persons or any other Member of the Parliament is Declared a publick Enemy of the Common-wealth And this violation of their Priviledges was that which did occasion first a Guard and was afterwards one Reason of raising an Army But that an Army thus raised by their Authority and for their Preservation should now so far exceed that Act which was then esteemed without parallel could hardly have been imagined by us had not our eyes been Witnesses of it And although both Houses of Parliament who are joyntly together with the King intrusted with the Supream Authority of the Kingdom saw cause to take up Armes for their own Defence against the attempts made upon them by the King and his evil Councellours and for the Preservation of the Protestant Religion established which was then indangered by the growth of severall Errours and Innovations and for the securing of the Fundamentall Laws and Constitutions of the Kingdom which they apprehended then to be undermined by severall illegall incroachments Yet this cannot be pleaded as any justification or precedent for you who in reference to the Power of Magistracy are but private persons to usurp an Authority over King and Parliament and to intermeddle with affairs which belong not to you For the Laws of God Nature and Nations together with the Dictates of Reason and the common consent of all Casuists allow that to those which are intrusted with managing the Supream Authority of a State or Kingdom which they do not allow to a multitude of private persons though they have strength in their hands to effect it And moreover although the Parliament thus took up Arms for the defence of their Persons and Priviledges and the Preservation of Religion Laws and Liberties Yet was it not their intention thereby to do violence to the Person of the King or devest him of his Regall Authority and what of right belongeth to him as appears by their many Declarations in that behalf Much lesse was it their purpose to subvert and overthrow the whole frame and fundamentall constitution of the Government of the Kingdbm or to give power and authority to any persons whatsoever so to do And therefore we apprehend our selves obliged thus to appear for the maintenance of our Religion Laws and Liberties together with the Constitution Power and Priviledges of Parliament and the setled Government of the Kingdom both on the one hand against all Malignant Counsells and Designes for the introduction of an Arbitrary and Tyrannical power in the King and on the other hand against all irregular licentious proceedings of private Persons tending to the subversion of them and to the introduction of Anarchy Confusion Prophanesse and Irreligion And we are the more strongly engaged thus to adhere firmly to these our former just Principles by reason of the severall Oaths and Covenants generally taken throughout the Kingdom as by the Protestation of May 5. 1641. wherein we do in the presence of Almighty God promise vow and protest according to the duty of our Allegiance to maintain and defend with our lives power and estates His Majesties Royall Person Honour and Estate and the Power and Priviledges of Parliament As also by the Vow and Covenant wherein the Lords and Commons have declared that there had been a treacherous and horrid design to surprize the Cities of London and Westminster with the Suburbs and by Arms to force the Parliament And finding by constant experience that many wayes of force and treachery are continually attempted c. Required That all that are true-hearted and lovers of their Country should binde themselves each to other in that sacred Vow and Covenant wherein we declare our abhorring and detesting the said wicked and treacherous designe and that we would according to our power and vocation oppose and resist the same and all other of the like nature And likewise by the Solemn League and Covenant for the Reformation and defence of Religion the Honour and Happinesse of the King the Peace and Safety of the Kingdomes c. Wherein we have Covenanted That we will sincerely really and constantly in our severall Vocations endeavour to preserve the Rights and Priviledges of the Parliaments and Preserve and Defend the Kings Majesties Person and Authority in the preservation and defence of the true Religion and Liberties of the Kingdoms that the World may bear witnesse with our Consciences of our Loyalty and that we have no thoughts or intentions to diminish His Majesties just power and greatnesse In all which obligations though the matter of them may be in part of Civil concernment yet the bond and tye of an Oath and Covenant is Religious sacred and inviolable Which though some may esteem no more then an Almanack out of date yet we look upon it as the Oath of GOD in whose Name we have sworn and who will certainly require it at our hands We know with what a jealous eye and severe hand the LORD avenged the quarrel of his Covenant made by Zedekiah to the King of Babylon though extorted from him and prejudiciall to him Shall he prosper saith God shall he escape that doth such things Or shall he break the Covenant and be delivered As I live saith the Lord seeing he despised the Oath by breaking the Covenant when so he had given his hand he shall not escape Therefore thus saith the Lord God As I live surely mine Oath that he hath despised and my Covenant that he hath broken even